Your Darkness, Our Light
by Paralian Ghost
Summary: Cecilia grew up in a difficult family with a miserable life. She finally runs away at 15, and makes quite an entrance at Camp Half-Blood. 'Lia' is offered a new life, adventure, and friends. But ever since she's arrived, a fear has been hanging over her - and it's linked to a certain boy she just can't seem to evade. Of all the boys to fall for, she chose the Ghost King. NicoXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi readers! So this is my fanfiction, NicoxOC. Though the OC's real name is Cecilia, she likes to go by Lia. (So far, and maybe the entire story) I'm going to just identify P.O.V.'s with the character's first initial. This is a really short introductory chapter...sorry. It's my first PJO fanfic (uploaded) so please R&R! Anything you have to say is much appreciated ;v; **

********I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians...series or characters, but I do own my OC :) I also don't own the song below or its lyrics******

_My eyes are open wide  
And by the way, I made it  
Through the day  
I watched the world outside  
By the way, I'm leaving out  
Today..._

_Tell my mother,  
Tell my father  
I've done the best I can  
To make them realize  
This is my life  
I hope they understand  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...  
Sometimes goodbye  
Is a second chance_

Please don't cry  
One tear for me  
I'm not afraid of  
What I have to say  
This is my one and  
Only voice

_- _Second Chance by Shinedown

**Chapter One - L**

"I hate this! I hate everything!" I scream.

I tear at my flesh, yanking out hair and clawing at my eyes. In my mind, that is. In reality, I am screaming silently into my pillow, choking back sobs. Anger pulses through my veins, and I cannot take it any longer. A surge of capricious defiance surges through me, and it's dangerous. Hastily, half-conscious, I snatch a bag up from the floor. It is packed, and always has been since I was eight years old. I restocked the bag with bags of crackers, cereal, water bottles, and whatnot every year - it also contained much money that I'd accumulated and managed to save. My emergency bag. Clothes, a small first aid kit I put together, Titanium scissors, and a box of tacks. There was no way I could get away with swiping a knife in this household.

This house. It infuriated me, everything about it. My mother was a perfectionist, refusing to believe that I could be a degree less than the epitome of flawless. My father was strict and solemn. Both were unforgiving and hard to talk to, not to mention that they did not understand an ounce of me. Their daughter. Fifteeen years and they had no clue who I was?

It had only taken a small thing to get me worked up this time, but I was deeply maddened. I recalled all the injustice they'd inflicted upon me throughout my life. I opened up my window and took a deep breath. I put my backpack on and jumped.

I live in a three-story townhouse. My bedroom lay at the top, and below there is grass. Landing most ungracefully and quite hard on my feet, I fell to the ground. I took a sharp inhale and hobbled over to conceal myself behind a bush. When I was confident that I was out of sight, I rolled into a ball and emitted gasps of pain. My ankles were killing me, and I could only hope that I hadn't sprained or twisted anything. Or gods forbid, broken a bone. Despite the pain, I forced myself to roll my feet, and flex. After a while, the agony became bearable and I stepped up. I would miss nothing, except for the pool.

**So, that's about it for the first chap. Please review and tell me what you think/any ideas perhaps? Thanks so much if you decided to give this a try :) Next chapter should be up in a jiffy. And this chapter was a bit angsty I guess but the rest of the story won't be, so please don't turn the story down just cause of that :( The little OC is going to meet some familiar faces very soon. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello lovely readers! So, Chapter 2. Urgh... very long chapter. Bear with me, please. Thank you to the two quest reviews so far. And the follows/favorites really made my day! R&R ****I don't own PJO or any of the song(lyrics).**

**Chapter Two **

**Lia's P.O.V.**

The streets of New York are fun. I personally like them, even though my parents seldom let me go out into the city. I did not look conspicuous amongst the eccentric minor-models, businesspeople, hipsters, tourists, and citizens. At a gift shop, I swap my ratty drawstring for a black Jansport with the protective leather padding underneath. I couldn't stay in the city for long, because I'll probably end up sleeping in an alleyway at night and that would be the worst place to be. So I walk around and pretend to be a tourist, sightseeing and all that jazz. It's fun, and I even almost forget who I am for a second.

As I gaze off at the people walking up and down the streets in such frenzy, a hand gripped my shoulder. I froze my swinging legs and was petrified to the bench. I look up and see a man with a baseball cap, pulled low, and in running attire.

"Found you, illegitimate little shit," he snarled.

I could tell right away before the words even came out of his mouth that he was not good news. I also knew that I was not illegitimate. Sometimes I wish I was an adopted orphan; it disgusted me to think that I shared the blood of two people who'd made my life hell. Springing up from the bench, I threw the man's arm off my shoulder and dashed across the street. It was like stepping on hot potatoes, every step dangerous and life threatening. Cars honked simultaneously, and several taxis bumped against my legs. I almost tripped a couple of times, dashing awkwardly through the mass of cars in some strange prance.

The man was hot on my trail, but his bulky size is a disadvantage because he can't squeeze through the cars as easily. I make it to the other side of the street, and dash through the seas of people. I have no idea where I am going. Then, I see a bridge. There are a lot of bridges in New York, and a couple rivers, but I have no idea which this one is. Maybe the Henry Hudson or something, we learn a lot about him in school. An ounce of hesitancy flickers in my brain, but I jump in before my thoughts can make me reconsider.

The river is dirty - almost everything in New York City is, except for the fancy hotels and restaurants. The man is peering over the railing, and scanning the water for me. He saw me jump. He takes out something that looks like a weapon. Even with my dark hair billowing in front of my face, I can tell it's not a gun - it's quite large actually.

Fear strikes through my heart with the same intensity of five hundred pounds of iron. The thought of his eyes settling on my body bobbing slowly down the river...he'd pinpoint me, and pluck my life out of existence, in a second. And then I'd be a dead body floating down the river. My heart raced and it took all my willpower not to start sobbing and emitting bubbles.

I closed my eyes, and took a moderate breath as I disappeared below the surface of the water. There are lighter shapes moving in front of my eyelids, like bright currents. I try to calm my racing heart. I don't know how long it's been, but the water is still moving me. I feel like I'm breathing, but that's not right. My breath was gone long ago - my cheeks are no longer puffed up. My mouth and nose are moving, inhaling and exhaling. Is this drowning? It must be. I still don't panic, and my mind seems to be dislocated from my body and senses. I must be dying. Small voices assure me that I am not, and I continue in the strange sleep as the water carries me on down the river.

The bright currents dance in my brain, and it reminds me of what I would do in the pool when I was young. On sunny days, I'd flip onto my back and push myself down to the bottom of the pool with my arms. Staring up at the water, it seemed as if the sunlight was running across the surface with fairy footsteps. It had felt so safe under the water.

Slowly and hazily, I make my way to the surface. I break out into the air, inhaling on a small breeze. I don't recognize where I am. It's a forest, and I hear no sound of a bustling city. The sky is different from the city - much more natural and less polluted. I'm no longer in a dirty New York City river, but a small trickling stream. The water has gotten lower, and I grab onto a rock. I sit up, and almost choke on the air while trying to take small breaths. All of my consciousness trickles back into my brain like an hourglass of sand. More alert, less relaxed. Then, I feel a sharp pain in my lower back. A hot rush of blood rushes through my veins, and then coldness seeps everywhere in the form of frigid pinpricks. I wince at the pain, and reach for the area where it seems to resonate from. Wet, sticky blood oozes from the wound - and I think there is a small dart-like thing protruding, or some kind of spiky bullet.

I gasp, and try not to panic. It might make me bleed more. I wash my hands quickly in the river and stagger to my feet. A figure approaches me from behind a mass of trees - the man that I now identified as my stalker and attacker.

I struggle for words, battling to hold the fear at bay. If I let the paranoia consume my now, all is lost. He leers at me, and his clothes rip off slowly. His body is expanding and changing, shape and color. I stumble out of the stream and onto the banks, horrified. The transformation is still going, and I see a grotesque demeanor become unveiled. He is very big, almost twelve feet now. Still, the man - no, thing - grows. His skin settles on a sandpaper and greenish hue and his eyes slant and fade to crimson. Scales form, and a tail. I run, wishing to be under the safe vicinity of the water's surface once again. I can't use the stream - it's too shallow.

"Help. Help. Helpp." I sound like a small dying dog yipping.

My voice is nearly inaudible and raspy - it sounds like when I try to scream in a nightmare and I can't. I try harder, and it's so hard. The fear is consuming me, I want to drop to the ground and go ballistic. I push harder, trying to find my voice.

"Help. Help. Help me. Me..."

The frustration is overwhelming, but not as much as the terror. My blood is churning and a steady hand is squeezing my heart - I can barely breathe. Then, out of the blue something perks up in my desperate call for aid. It sounds so twisted when it comes out, changing from a low, hoarse gasp to a screechy wail, and then to a flat yelp. I try again, and again. No one is going to hear; maybe no one is even around.

The monster's steps grow louder and louder behind me. The ground is shaking like a 4.0 earthquake. I think I hear voices, and I turn toward them. I let off as many strange screams as I can, and try to run. But I can't run - my movements are jerky and slow, as if I'm a string puppet. My biggest fear glides alongside me, laughing. I've always been afraid of dying since I was little. With barely any friends, I was a morbid thinker. I think of death a lot, and it's unhealthy. I live in fear, and in disappointment that I'm not really "living" at all. I'm not afraid of dying really, just what I have to deal with after. So I am afraid of dying, really. I don't know what happens after. And now, I'm going to find out.

_Do you believe you're missin' out_  
_That everything good is happening somewhere else?_  
_But with nobody in your bed_  
_The night's hard to get through_

_And I will die all alone_  
_And when I arrive I won't know anyone_

_Well, Jesus Christ, I'm alone again_  
_So what did you do those three days you were dead?_  
_'cause this problem's gonna last more than the weekend._

_Well, Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die,_  
_I'm a little bit scared of what comes after_  
_Do I get the gold chariot?_  
_Do I float through the ceiling?_

_Do I divide and fall apart?_  
_'cause my bright is too slight to hold back all my dark_  
_And the ship went down in sight of land_

_- Jesus Christ by Brand New _

**Nico's P.O.V.**

We tread through the forest quietly, soft music coming out from Bridger's backpack. I trail behind the group, leaving at least a foot in the shadow of a tree or bush while the others walk comfortably in sunshine. If it bothers them, they don't show it. It took a while to find friends that didn't mind a death demigod.

The four of us make small talk about camp and petty summer quests as we head toward the small pond we'd found a couple weeks back. It was the size of a regular swimming pool, but insanely deep and crystal clear. Enclosed by some willows and pines, it was our little secret. Much better than the crowded lake back at the camp, where there were bound to be tons of people. I'm not antisocial - I just...

"You know, I smell something in the air." Ace muttered, his relaxed posture stiffening into warlike-mode.

The way his jaw twitched and eyes darted around calmly made him radiate Ares demigod-ness. Spenser backed off a bit from Ace, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't tell me you're getting one of those spontaneous paranoia-destruction whims again, Ace. We came to swim and spar a little, not to gang up on you while you're in some wild beast mode." the Hermes demigod said, flashing a white grin.

Everyone muttered their discontent, and I chuckled a bit to myself. As if being a son of Ares doesn't put enough fight into Ace's blood, he has strange whims where he gets paranoid and thirsts for a good fight. Sometimes, he just gets worked up and beats the other guy who offended him real bad. However, most of the time it's when he's around us and suddenly gets it into his head that we're all clones or monsters in disguises. He overanalyzes us, and if we seem to be acting a bit strange, he turns Spartan. While we're all decent fighters and it's usually at least three to one, Ace is a son of Ares and the possession makes him even more malicious.

"No, no not that," Ace snaps, half-listening as his hearing extends out further into the woods.

Everyone sees the seriousness in the situation, as I mutter under my breath.

"What a classic hunter. Always vigilant."

Spenser and Bridger laugh. Ace shushes us. Ace forces his way in front of the group, pushing Bridger aside hastily.

"Guys, hear that?" Ace murmurs, his voice concerned, but more excited.

"Is it something serious?" Bridger asks.

"No, we can handle it," Ace says.

"We're not all Ares kids with fatally-supersized egos here, Ace," Spenser says.

Ace shoots us all looks, examining our faces. For fear, probably.

"You guys want out, you can run your little asses back to camp. I can handle this on my own."

We shake our heads, and Bridger lets out a low whistle.

"Got a bad feeling 'bout this." I say.

"Then why you smiling?" Ace demanded wondrously.

"'Cause something's going to die."

"Shit, Ace. Maybe you're biting off a bit too much this time." Spenser said.

"The only thing dying is the enemy. That is, after we bring it back to camp and torture it with interrogations." Ace said flatly.

"An intruder?" Bridger asks.

"I smell 'im. I smell blood, really close. Bet Nico can smell it, too." Ace replies, not looking back at me.

And he was right. I could smell blood - but I didn't want to confirm what I thought it was.

"What is it?" Spenser asks sharply.

"I-I don't-"

"C'mon, Nico. Cut the modest stuff, we know you're like a shark and can smell blood from miles away. Is it one of those cursed snakes again?" Bridger asks.

"It's not a monster. It's a demigod, with about thirty minutes to live."

Bridger whistles. He whistles too much, but that's to be expected from a musically inclined Apollo kid. Ace tells him to cut it out, or else the monster will track us down and eat us before we can save the poor kid.

We find drop our backpacks off by the base of a big tree, keeping weapons only - except for Spenser who, with a father that excels in medicine, sticks a mini First-Aid kit into his pocket. The thing is the size of a hand, but it opens up to reveal at least two hundred cures for basic monster infections. I always have my ambrosia and nectar on me, a bad habit from when I was younger. At least I don't wear the same leather jacket anymore. I can also wear other colors than black now, and I've discarded the chain belt and skull ring. I don't wear any jewelry at all now. My hair looks much better, too. I have come a long way.

"HELP! Help me!" a voice calls out, and it turns my blood cold.

**SOsososso what do you think? What kind of monster does the stalker seem to be? Hahaha it's pretty confusing rn. The next chapter might be a bit later...So, Ace, Bridger, and Spenser are Nico's friends. Nico is 15, Lia's 15...and Nico's three buddies are 15 too. Ok. It's a bit messy so Ace is a son of Ares, Bridger-Apollo, and Spenser-Hermes. Hmmmm but what about Lia :0 mwhaahah. thank you so much for reading. please review guys! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya readers! Soooo, Chapter Three is here. thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites :) Keep them coming, please. What do you think of my O.C., Lia, so far? Just a heads up, *****HOUSE OF HADES SPOILER****** Nico isn't going to be gay/bisexual in this fic. I started this a long time ago before House of Hades, so yeah. Thank you soo much, please R&R! -I don't own PJO or any of the songs/lyrics that I use excerpts from. Only Lia is mine, the O.C. -****  
**

_I turn to wax and melt like this_  
_Melt like this_

_I found you in pieces you'd been torn apart_  
_A million one reasons to end before you start_  
_But deep down I knew_  
_No matter what in the end, it'd be me and you_

_-BTSK, by Ms Mr _

**Chapter Three - Nico's P.O.V.**_  
_

_...a voice calls out, and it turns my blood cold._

I can say the same for all the other guys by the stiffening in their posture. The voice was a young girl's, but something was obviously very wrong with her.

"That's how I sound like when I try to sing in a nightmare. I can never sing in a nightmare." Bridger says.

I know exactly what he means, and Spenser nods in agreement. Her wail had shifted octaves, and was nearly inaudible. We needed to find her quick. She was not far - as her voice was caught between a muffled yelp and a murmur. The ground began to tremble as we ran toward where we heard the voice.

"Something wicked this way comes." Ace says with a hint of humor.

"You got that from a movie didn't you? I've heard that one before." Spenser says.

Another cringe-worthy plea for help rings out, and my hand clenches the hilt of my Stygian iron sword tightly. Then, a roar reverberates off the trees. It is inhuman, and much louder.

"Lydian drakon. Oh shit, oh shit. I'm dead." Ace jokes, a vicious smile curling up on up the side of his lips.

"Lydian DRAKON?" Spenser yells, "The ones that only a child of Ares can kill?"

"You want me to run back and get Clarisse? She killed the one on Mt. Olympus a while back and has experience-" Bridger was interrupted by Ace.

"Hello? Who am I?"

"Nico, great intuition. How many of us are going to again?" Spenser groaned, turning to me.

"I can't say for sure, but at least one."

"And we've got to save the half-dead chick," Ace adds, "How much longer she got, Death Timer?"

I roll my eyes at the name, but answer anyways,

"Twenty-three minutes now."

It was getting serious, because a Lydian drakon is serious trouble. We couldn't just leave Ace to handle it all by himself because of the fact that it would only die at the hands of an Ares demigod. We'd have to slow it down, and maim it a bit. Ace would go for the big hit. And, the best sprinter would have to take the girl back to camp in time. Ace explained the plan to us, which was pretty close to what I had drawn out. I was glad he knew that he couldn't do it all by himself.

"I trust that you know my dream funeral? Scattered into a gust of wind off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to an acoustic "She Will Be Loved"?" Spenser says to me, pretending to wipe away tears.

"I'm too busy. You'll be wrapped up Egyptian style after we've removed your brains and internal organs and display those in the Mess Hall for all to remember your heroic feats." I tell him, laughing.

"Harsh. And here I thought we were on good terms."

"Egyptians removed the brains out from the nose with a pick." I add, laughing, as Spenser and Bridger gag.

"It's coming." Ace says, from behind his tree.

We dash out from our trees as the rumbling comes close enough. A couple of pines break down, just as a small figure jumps out. She barely escapes from the drakon's outreached claws. The girl is small, and blood is dripping down her backside. She's staggering while she runs, as if she has a limp. But as I peer closer, there's nothing wrong with her feet. She just can't run right.

"Venetian Azul. It's a small dart manufactured in Italy, with a blue liquid welded into the metal pin part of the dart. Slowly, the metal with the poison melts into the person's body. Very slowly - about forty minutes. It causes the body to be harder to control by shutting the nervous system on and off. That's why she runs like that. Her bodily functions are also impaired, and she's feeling both hold and cold rushes and numb pins and needles right now. As well as a lot of pain. Cured by pouring melted silver over it, and taking what's left of the dart out, of course. We've got tons of vials of silver back at camp." Spenser recites quickly.

"You sound like a godsdamned textbook. We finish this fight quick, and run back even faster. She probably weighs an ounce anyways." Ace says.

"Or I can shadow travel." I offer, the idea just hitting me.

The guys look at me incredulously.

"Brilliant. You're so brilliant." Bridger marvels.

"Pretty bright for such a dark kid." Ace agrees, and I glare at him.

The drakon fully emerges from the trees, towering above all of us.

"Hey, you! Stay behind that big tree! Don't go anywhere, or else it'll take us longer to find you and bring you back to camp. Just rest there for bit and they'll fix you up nice and dandy," Spenser hollers to the girl.

She looks at us with wide eyes, and it's no doubt she's a demigod because she knows the drakon _and_ can see our weapons. A curt nod, and she's off behind some trees. I'm glad she's not like some of the newbies that just stand frozen in place and can't process any of the magic.

"She seems pretty cool about it." Bridger says to no one in particular.

"Less trouble for us." Ace grits his teeth and charges first for the beast.

We follow his lead. His two swords, one like a gladius and the other long and thin, wave in a deadly arc, slashing through the air. Roars and screeches pierce the air. Spenser goes for the small things, like feet and the stomach. Bridger is up in the trees, where his archery could hit an eye and weak spots in the scales. I scowl as I head for the worst thing left over - the tail.

Ace is jumping around, and lands on top of the beast. He must feel like a cowboy on the world's best bucking bull. I slice off a few thorny protuberances and get some gashes on my forearms when I throw up my hands to protect my face from the whiplash tail. I chop off about two inches of the tail, then a foot, and then five feet. My sword nearly swings to the ground with all the force I'd put into that last slash. Blood is all over my shirt, which was crisp white to begin with.

"Oh! The gore!" Bridger screams from the treetops as the tail shakes violently, sending a shower of blood everywhere.

I block my head from the rain of red, and run away to dodge becoming soaked in the blood. The drakon roars in fury and agony. It's got tons of arrows sticking out of its back and wings, an amputated foot, and missing almost half of its tail. I hope Ace doesn't fall back too much, because he might impale himself on one of Bridger's arrows.

Just as I'm about to go in and take off the entire tail, the drakon rises up on its two front feet and shakes Ace off. He tumbles to the ground, thankfully not hurt too much. But the drakon flies awkwardly to the trees where the girl is. The trees are too close for the monster's wings to fully extend, and Spenser takes the opportunity, leaping up to grab the edge of a wing. He slices off an entire right wing.

Ace runs past me. The drakon is nose to nose with the girl, who isn't screaming. She's breathing heavily, but looks the drakon right in the eye. It snarls, and the teeth incise her neck and lower jaw. Streaks of blood drip onto her shirt. She's got sixteen minutes.

Her hair is nice. It looks black, but it's really dark brown and shines a bit honey-like at the ends.

"Back off!" Ace yells, but the drakon doesn't care.

"Nico! You alright?" Bridger yells from the treetops.

I snap out of my contemplation of the girl's hair, and snatch up one of Spenser's small knives from the ground nearby. I shadow travel to the girl, and she shakes when I hand her the knife.

"Don't be afraid, use it." I tell her quietly.

She grips it correctly, but maybe a little too firm. The drakon hisses at me, turning to look at the interference. My sword is at my side, and I stand up to fight. But, the drakon swoops in for the girl instead, catching me off guard. There's a deafening crunch and some yells from the boys watching. I see a flash of silver as the knife buries in the drakon's right eye. It's a sickening sound as it squishes into the pupil, and the drakon hisses. The tree snaps at just a foot above the girl's head, and tumbles down on top of her and the drakon.

There's more blood, and I see that a significant part of her left arm, near the elbow, has been maimed by the drakon's teeth. More blood on her right hand, where she's holding the head of the monster back from attacking her body. The drakon is wailing horrendously, blood dripping down its face as it struggles helplessly. The girl is writhing under the weight of the tree and monster, trying to get away. Thirteen minutes.

"Yah!" Ace yells, ever so warlike, as he pounces onto the monster's back, breaking a few bones and scales.

More screaming on the drakon's part, but then it leans even more weight on the tiny girl, who groans in the throes of torment. I have to get her out of there, quick. The space between her and the drakon is dangerously small. I'd have a nice chance of getting my head into the drakon's mouth, or suffocating the girl if I tried to squeeze in between them. So, I shadow travel. I've never traveled to such a small spot before. I find myself comfortably pressed against the girl. Our noses would touch if I slumped a bit to match her height. My back is to the drakon, who gnashes its teeth on the nape of my neck. I wince as dull stings appear, and something warm trickles down my back.

The girl's eyes are brown, like dark honey. I can see flecks of gold in them, and languid fear. She's captivating.

Behind me, Ace is stomping on the poor thing. Rather, poor me, because I have to brace the beast thrashing against me. Ace is getting worked up, I can tell by his shouts. I hear the sound of swords sloshing repeatedly in and out of flesh and blood. I don't need to stay any longer to find out how the fight's going to end. Drawing an arm around the girl, I can feel her feeble heartbeat. Nine minutes.

"Sorry 'bout this. A bit uncomfortable, huh?" I said.

She smiled weakly at me, trying not to pass out.

"We're going to do a little shadow traveling. Close your eyes, because there's going to be a bit of spinning. You'll be fine though."

She lets out a little "oh", like it doesn't sound too bad. It isn't bad at all, really. A lot of people don't like shadow traveling though, on the rare occasions that I do bring people with me. The girl offers a frail grip on my shoulder, pressing her forehead to my chest and closes her eyes.

"See you back at camp!" Spenser yells out.

I give him a stern nod and disappear.

**Lallalalalalalalalala! So, what of it? This was supposed to be kind of an action scene, but I feel like my fighting writing is kind of sloppy. Please feel free to drop off some criticism below, and opinions/ideas/whatnot. Your guys' reviews totally make my day! And the fourth chapter will be up soon...probably around next week or so? Not sure... Thank you for reading and hope you lovelies have a splendid day/night :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey readers! How are you doing? So, spring break for me is next week so I should get about two chapters in pretty quickly...Sorry that I didn't publish this one until now. It's kind of a small filler-ish, nothing big really happens (in my opinion) but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thank you very much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I am so happy for them, and please keep them coming!**

******I do not own anything, except Lia because she is my OC. I don't own the music lyrics/songs/excerpts/ either.***** **

_There's something about you I hold on to_

You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes  
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes

_-Lost Kitten by Metric _

**Chapter Four - Lia's P.O.V.**

As one of the other boys call out, I close my eyes. I am totally consumed in darkness; I can feel it wrapping around me. Head to toe, I'm drenched in the air of a bottomless pit. My head spins a bit, and I feel a strange lurching in my chest. It stops, and I feel brightness on the outside of my eyelids once again. I open my eyes, inhaling the scent of pine and something dusty. Leather? No, I can't quite identify it... The smell of a particular boy.

The dark-haired boy did that magical teleportation thing again, and we must be at "camp". He shifts his arm to help me stand alongside him, and I try to lean as little as possible. Though it would be pretty indecent, I wished that I could just stay with my face in his shirt instead. We are surrounded by people, staring wide-eyed. The chattering slowly grows to silence, our sudden appearance the cause of it no doubt. My body gives out then, and I go limp. I expect to land like a sack of potatoes in the dirt, but the boy moves swiftly. He lets his sword clatter to the ground as he scoops my body up into both arms. _Great, just marvelous. _His arms are strong and wiry, and I feel like a nauseous cotton ball. I shut my eyes in an ill effort to regain full consciousness. It's also a defense mechanism so I can shut out the embarrassment for the moment.

"Oh great, Nico. You've gone and brought back a corpse this time." a stereotypical, arrogant male voice mutters.

The boy holding me, Nico, blurts out something about Ace killing a dragon in the woods. The words slur in my ears, but I guess that beast was a dragon. Murmuring erupts, and soon conversation begins to flow again like steady lava from a volcano. I am ushered away from the commotion, urgent voices guiding Nico and me to somewhere else. The slick wetness on various parts of my body has melted into me. I feel quite useless. The aches and pains are still there, and excruciating, but my brain has gone into a state between total shock and numbness.

_Hold on, hold on. Hold on, you'll be alright. Five minutes. _

Voices, and one voice in particular, arise in my head amidst the jumble of thoughts and images. A dragon. The dark haired boy carrying me in his arms. Floating down the river, in a state of isolated mental bliss. I try to keep thinking about the river and the boy, holding onto those two wonderful things that I'd stumbled across today.

The two best feelings in my life so far. I couldn't die.

A hand bigger than mine grasps my fingers as my body is laid onto a flat surface. I have a fear of surgery. _Don't worry, you won't die. _

I slip out of arms and slide into the river.

*******Nico's P.O.V.***********

I fall back onto a chair after laying the girl down on the cot. Two Hermes kids buzz over her, and I can't help but imagine flies over a dead body. But she's not dead. We were four minutes early.

They make me sit on a parallel cot, treating the gash on my forearm and other cuts. Ace, Bridger, and Spenser stumble into the infirmary a few minutes later. Ace is well bloodied, but the other two look fine. They hover around me to get their minor wounds treated. There's much commotion over the girl; she's made a pretty dramatic entrance as a newbie. So we debate about her godly lineage.

"Well, maybe Athenian. I mean, she looks pretty smart to me." Spenser begins.

"Nah, looks like a Demeter kid to me. One of those flower kids that are half-hippy." Bridger says.

I secretly prayed that she wasn't a daughter of Demeter because that wouldn't be so hot for me. Demeter kids are crazy about cereal, and not crazy about me because their mother hates Hades. My dad.

"Hmm...I'm thinking Hecate. She's got that innocent look, but you can tell she's wicked. I could tell in the forest, decent fighter. Wouldn't be surprised if I saw her cursing little squirrels in a month. " Ace said.

We went on and on, until the two Hermes kids said that we should leave. I was hesitant and almost wanted to stay back. To be honest, I didn't want to answer the fusillade of questions all the campers would throw at me. I hung back for a while. Chiron came in a little later to ask me questions. I told him everything, and asked about the Lydian drakon. Chiron told me that Ace had wanted it taxidermied and hung in front of the Ares cabin. They'd settled on placing it in the Hall of Fame.

Around dinner, I got up and took a quick shower. I ate fast and gave small answers to questions before I dashed back to the infirmary. I was going to see if the girl was awake yet, but got intercepted halfway by Alec Moore. I remembered what he said earlier about bringing a corpse back to camp, and he always had something against me so we got into a fight. I won and shadow traveled back to my cabin, but couldn't sleep very well. That girl lying in the infirmary was pretty, I decided. I liked her. And I didn't even know her name yet.

**And so what do you think, you guys? Not a lot of chemistry yett... but soon, I promise ya! I love chemistry fizzing moments aurghhh sparksss. Please review for me? I'd love to hear from you guys, thoughts..opinions..anything. THankkkk you for reading and hope you guys have a wonderful night/day. :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello guys! So sorry I have been absent for so long (especially when I promised to update during Spring Week -_-)! Okay, so here's the next chapter. I hope you like it, even though many of you can probably guess who her godly parent is. Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Please keep them coming. **

_There's a spanner in the works, you know  
You gotta step up your game to make it to the top  
So go_

Gotta little competition now  
You're going to find it hard to cope with living on your own now  
Oh oh, oh oh

Let's make this happen, girl  
You gotta show the world that something good can work  
And it can work for you  
And you know that it will

_-Something Good Can Work, by Two Door Cinema Club_

**Chapter Five - Lia's POV **

I awoke to hushed silence. I felt like I was being watched. Wearily, I pushed myself up and glanced around. A hospital-like room, and there was a centaur in front of me. I know my Greek mythology pretty well. A middle-aged man with red wine eyes stared blankly back at me, sipping from a Cherry Pepsi.

"Awake now, finally. I was beginning to think that we'd been burdened with another one of those Hypnos blokes that make potato couches look hardworking," the man said, rolling his eyes.

I was somewhat afraid of him, like he would suddenly lash out and bite my head off. His eyes were lazy, but violent at the same time. He was simply brimming with wildness, but also laden with sedatives. I wondered if he was under the influence of drugs.

"This must be all a shock to you, and I'll explain it all shortly. But first, introductions," the centaur said, and he was much more calmer than the man.

The centaur was Chiron. The man was the Greek god of wine, Dionysus.

We were at a camp for demigods called Camp Half-Blood. I was still in New York. There were many kids out there with one mortal parent and a godly parent. They were sent here to train and be kept safe. Sometimes they went on quests. The gods existed and lived on Mt. Olympus. There were monsters, like that thing that attacked me. A Lydian drakon, not dragon. I took it all in like blunt bullet points. _Oh, by the way you might not be able to leave Camp Half-Blood. It's very dangerous for you in the real world. But everything else is alright. Oh, there's an Oracle. Oh, and your godly parent will claim you soon. _

"So...am I a monster?" I asked.

Dionysus snorted, and a Coke appeared in his hands. Chiron gave me a confused look.

"Why would you say that, Lia?" he asked.

"Well - you don't know who my godly parent is, do you? I've never had any magical powers, and I have both parents. A mom and a dad. They're mortals," the word mortal sounded strange on my tongue, like a condescending insult.

Chiron and Dionysus shared a look.

"Kiddo, hate to break it to you, but you're probably adopted." Dionysus shrugged, not sounding sorry to break it to me at all.

"You're not a monster, Lia. It's definite that you're a demigod. We do not know the godly parent of any of the new demigods that come to camp - but neither do they. You simply have to wait until your parent claims you." Chiron said.

"Are you sure-" I began, but was interrupted.

"It's not a mistake. You were sent to Camp Half-Blood," Dionysus locked eyes with me, silencing my protests, "And refer to me as Mr. D in the future."

Chiron bid me good-bye while Dionysus disappeared into thin air. I was left alone again. Suddenly, a stirring sound to my right caught my attention. On the cot right next to me sat the dark haired boy who had saved me yesterday.

He stared at me with dark, black eyes. And smiled.

I simply gaped for a minute, and then fell back into my cot. Did everyone around here teleport? I really wanted to believe I was a demigod then, if magical transportation was part of the package.

"Hey, you're awake now. Did someone just come in?" he asked softly.

"Yeah...Dionysus and Chiron. I mean, Mr. D and Chiron," I said.

The boy gave a weary smile,

"Hmm, so you got an explanation. Nice. I had to watch a little movie."

I just bobbed my head a bit, trying not to look at his face too intently.

"Oh, I'm Nico di Angelo. What's your name?"

"Lia. And...thanks for...saving me yesterday," I found it deeply strange to thank someone for saving your life.

It was not something I had to say, ever.

"Are your wounds getting better?" he asked, taking a step toward me.

I nodded, and racked my brain for something to fuel the conversation.

"So, who's your godly parent?"

Nico winced a bit, like it was a sore subject. Immediately, I recoiled at the thought of having ruined any possibility of a future friendship. Was asking about parents not a polite thing at camp? I had no idea. Nico saw my pained look and gave me a weak smile.

"It's okay. My dad's just really unpopular, and I get some of that. He's Hades."

"The Underworld?" I asked, even though I knew perfectly well who Hades was.

Nico nodded, and I offered him a smile.

"That's not bad. I mean, it's just dead people, right?"

Wrong thing to say. Nico winced a bit, and I mentally slapped myself.

"Sorry," I said quickly, "That was a bit rash."

"Nah, it's alright. But yeah, dead people."

I eased back into my pillows, and remembered to choose my words carefully in the future. Very, very carefully. A soft silence settled over us for a bit, until Nico cleared his throat.

"There's going to be breakfast soon. What do you want?"

My chest felt a bit tingly, but everything else seemed healthy otherwise.

"Can I go? I'm feeling alright." I said, sitting up immediately to prove that I was very capable of walking and eating breakfast.

Nico bit his lip in consideration, and then extended a hand to help me up. I could walk just fine, but didn't let go of his hand. Outside of the hospital, summer sun shone down warmly. I realized that my shirt was spattered with blood, and a little tattered. I must have looked a mess.

"Ugh. I don't have spare clothes." I mutter under my breath.

A girl passing by stops in her tracks, then runs up to meet us.

"Oh my gods!" she squeals, "Come with me!"

She snatches my hand and drags me away fro Nico, who sputters a few protests and gives me a sorry look. The girl, who looks like a model, pulls me into a house. Inside, there are a few people, and they all look like supermodels as well. I feel very uncomfortable. Were people with blood stains on their shirts bullied here?

"This is the new girl from yesterday! We've got to help her out! She's got no spare clothes, and breakfast is in fifteen minutes. And, she was walking with Nico di Angelo!" the girl holding my hand blurts out, like there's going to be an apocalypse.

I try to ignore the Nico di Angelo part.

"Is this the Aphrodite cabin?" I ask.

People nod, and I'm whisked into a chair. Two girls ask me about my personal style, violently throwing clothes in the air. We settle on what they call "semi-hipster with a touch of renovated vintage, cover-up beach boho, and the ever-slightest grunge". I have no idea what that means. Clothes for me had always been PacSun, Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, and H&M.

They give me a floral dress, yellow jelly sandals, and some gold rings. In a separate suitcase, there's fifty pounds worth of clothes that really do suit my taste. I'm told to leave the suitcase here and come back for it when I know my cabin. A boy on his way to the showers is chosen to guide me there. With a towel, toothbrush, shampoo, and conditioner from the ever-generous Aphrodite lot, I settle into the warm showers. It feels like heaven, and I want to stay here a little longer. No doubt that I will be getting plenty of weird stares throughout the day. I didn't know anyone - except for Nico, but I couldn't just tag along with him all day. Furthermore, I was going to be unclaimed for who knew how long. I dreaded the possibility of becoming unclaimed forever. And then there was also the possibility of becoming claimed to a god that I had absolutely no personal interest in. Had that ever happened to a demigod? Probably not, but I am not a stranger to bad luck.

The water is so soothing, and I have it on the hottest possible. Somehow, it doesn't seem enough. I push the lever down, even though it can't budge anymore1. Surprisingly, the water gets hotter. I like scalding hot showers. Slowly, my shower heats up to perfection. That's when I hear the first scream. Soon, the girls' shower room is filled with shrieks of agony. I stand still, wondering if a monster had broken into the showers. Or were snakes coming out of the drains? I am terribly afraid of snakes. Thoughts of mini hydras wafted into my head, and I was frozen in terror.

"Hot! HOT!" A girl shrieked outside.

"The water's turned to fire!" another yells.

"My skin! It's turning red and I look like a lobster!" another wails.

I freeze in my stall, and a silence settles over the room. My shower curtain is whisked open, and I want to scream myself. Instead, water sprays everywhere, and I hear the unfortunate girl screaming and covering her face. I snatch my towel and wrap it around me, stepping outside.

"What-what's going on?" I stammer.

A bunch of girls glare at me, and I suddenly want to look down at my feet.

"Okay, cut the wise crack. Screwing with all the showers isn't funny, you know. You could have burned us all to death if the water was half a degree hotter," a redhead lectured me.

"Yeah, you think this is funny?" a blonde snaps.

I shake my head no, "I didn't do it."

"Don't pretend! It's so obviously you! You didn't scream, and you didn't leap out of your shower," a tall brunette says to me.

She is supported by a heap of accusations from angry girls. Shocked and totally confused, frustration wells up inside of me. I didn't do it. The water was warm in my shower, not burning. I had simply been taking a shower, and all the other girls had started screaming. I was just as clueless and innocent as anyone.

"Stop that," a girl blurted out shakily.

She was staring wide-eyed at me. I followed her gaze to a pool of churning water around my feet. Water was flowing out from the showers and sinks, to me. I tried to shake the water off, like some pesky mosquitoes. But it just kept coming. There were shrieks of fear as the girls edged away from me like the freak I was.

"Stop, stop it!" I hissed to myself.

I began to panic, kicking at the water. The water was rising dramatically. All the girls ran out of the showers, and I decided to follow them. I snatched up my pile of clothes and dashed outside. Maybe the cursed water would stop outside. However, it only got worse as I ran. The water came crashing behind me like waves, and I feared that I would drown.

Then, as my foot met the first spot of earth, it all broke loose. The water behind me, seemingly enough to fill a small swimming pool, collapsed. People within thirty feet were soaked up to their knees. Everyone was staring at me, wide-eyed. I felt the embarrassment race up my spine and hit my cheeks with a full blush. But I wasn't just blushing. A blue light was glowing from inside of my skin, and my lips tasted like salt.

"Lia?" a familiar voice called out.

"I-I..." I stared at Nico helplessly, clutching the towel around my body tighter, "You didn't say the showers were cursed."

"The water's not cursed." a new voice proclaimed.

The kids parted as a dark-haired boy with sea-green eyes approached me. He looked angry, but definite.

"You're a daughter of Poseidon."

**So. Yes, wanderlustsea, Lia is a daughter of Poseidon. There are a lot of fanfics like that, huh? Well, it was inevitable. I love all things nautical, and I love the tension it sets between Lia and Nico. Of course, there would be better tension if we threw Percy in and Nico was bi/gay in this fanfic. Gods, that would be great. ANyhoo, what do you guys think? And, there can always be other kinds of tension, like between Percy and Lia. No, not incest. Like, we all know how Percy was kind of upset at first when he found out Tyson was his half-brother. I could re-do that, with Lia, and it's quite reasonable behavior for Percy to be a bit angry at his new half-sister. What do you think Percy will feel like, though? He is more mature and older now, though... :) Please R&R! And F&F! (favorite and follow...is that not a thing? O well.) Please have a good ****day; it's Friday for me and I'm soooo looking forward to the weekend, as always. **


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